SUV still most popular car type in Singapore

The clear favourite when it comes to new cars here in the Lion City is still the soft-roader, aka crossover, aka sport utility vehicle (SUV).

This type of car, which typically has five-doors, off-road styling and raised heights, accounted for 36.6 per cent of new car sales here in the first half of 2022.

Sedans remained the second most popular style of car, making up just over a third of new car registrations this year, with 32 per cent. But compared to 2021, it lost around a point. Sedans have been traditionally the most popular type of car here, with SUVs finally taking the crown away only in 2021.

Hatchbacks continued to lose ground, dropping from 12.8 per cent to just 10.5 per cent, a clear reflection of the fact that mainstream East Asian brands (such as Honda, Kia, and Toyota) have ceased offering compact and small hatchbacks, with most buyers going straight to small sedans and SUVs now.

But 2022 has offered small surprises too, with the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and coupe body styles actually gaining ground. The preponderance of MPVs could be down to the fact that private hire vehicle companies have been bulking up their fleets to meet increased demand.

In the meantime, more coupes could be a result of post-Covid-19 'Yolo' or revenge shopping, something also echoed by the fact that super-luxury car sales are also on track for great results in 2022.

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This article was first published in CarBuyer.